PURITAN NEWS WEEKLY

www.puritans.net/news/

5/14/07

 

 

NORTHERN IRELAND

 

By Parnell McCarter

 

 

Reuters reports:

“BELFAST (Reuters) - Northern Ireland's Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders, arch-foes during decades of bloodshed, launched a new power-sharing government in the British province on Tuesday aiming to put a final end to violence…The party leaders and guests including the British and Irish prime ministers and a U.S. delegation with Irish-American Senator Edward Kennedy underscored the momentous, historic nature of the event.  "From the depths of my heart I can say to you today that I believe Northern Ireland has come to a time of peace, a time when hate will no longer rule," Paisley said...” (see http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKL0849100220070508?src=050807_1149_TOPSTORY_northern_ireland_enters_new_era )

While we can certainly hope that lawless violence between the two parties (regrettably carried out by both sides in the conflict) in Northern Ireland will abate, Rev. Ian Paisley’s quote underscores just how deficient his theology is with respect to the reformed faith.  Does he not realize there can only be true peace among men when there is true peace with God?  And does he not realize there can be no peace with God so long as false religion and false worship abound in Northern Ireland?  Is he unaware of John Knox’s true words that "one mass was more fearful to him than 10,000 armed men"?  And is he not fearful that the false prophets of Israel were marked as saying, “Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace”?